Saving Grace
by Sapphiria
Summary: Oshawott was always left behind, Tepig was on the edge of death, Snivy just wanted someone who loved her for who she was. Three starters, all of whom are already connected, rejoin under the warm care of a loving boy with the power of Ideals behind him. A trainer who becomes their saving grace. BW anime AU
1. Mizu : Oshawott

**Hi there!**

 **So this idea randomly came into my mind after reading a thread on Twitter about what was cut from the Black and White anime Series which, in my opinion, could have made it a much better Series than the crap we ended up receiving.**

 **If that Earthquake never had happened in the first place, maybe we'd be looking at the BW series differently as mediocre or good instead of garbage and this is what I'm planning on doing with this story. Taking those ideas and running with them.**

 **That being said, I hope you enjoy this story, and thanks for reading.**

* * *

There was always one starter of the bunch that was left behind. If two trainers set off on a journey, there was always the one who was left behind for the next trainer to choose from.

Oshawott had always been that Pokémon.

He didn't know why, but he had never seen a trainer consider taking him from the day that he was brought into rotation for new trainer choices. From the days spent as a hatchling, running around with the Tepig and Snivy he was raised with, to the moment Professor Juniper showed up to get him ready for his first choosing, Oshawott had high expectations for his future as a trainer Pokémon. He had planned everything out in advance.

A trainer would welcome him with open arms, train him to become the best Samurott that ever existed, and take on the world with him.

During his first few choosings, Oshawott was highly optimistic that his plan would begin to become reality. He was practically bouncing up and down on the inside as the new trainer would look over the three choices, before coming to a decision that ended up being either the fire or grass type starter. Weeks passed and the ideal plan began to crumble into dust. Some days, he would be out of rotation and another Oshawott was chosen in his place, since he was ill or undergoing testing.

The poor water type was slowly losing faith in his ability to be picked, each performance upon the moment of choosing became forced and overly dramatic. Now, when he tried to appeal to the target, all he was given was a scoff of disgust. First impressions were everything, and Oshawott was failing horribly with his.

He felt as if all hope was lost, as if there was no way that he would ever find a trainer who would happily take him on to begin their team. The water type had increasingly become less and less picky by the day, until all he wanted was for someone to kneel down, look him in the eyes and say, 'I choose you'. Obviously, in theory, that should have been able to work…

If only humans had been able to understand Pokémon.

Oshawott was at his wits end, he really couldn't take anymore rejections and the professor knew it. She had often focused her attention on him during check-up times, noting stages of depression settling into his poor, fragile mind. Juniper tried her hardest to make him feel better, to cheer him up when times were tough, but it wasn't working well. Oshawott needed a trainer and soon, or he might just go crazy.

A new trainer was scheduled in for a morning choosing, which was where Oshawott would hopefully make the best first impression that he possibly could and win over the trainer's heart. When he was released from the Poke Ball that was marked as his own, he took a good look at the boy who could be his new trainer. Stern, focused, calm and collected, words that could easily describe the sandy haired boy with the camera that was looking down at him with one eyebrow raised in an elegant curve. Perfect, just perfect. This boy was the ideal trainer that Oshawott had been waiting for, the one that would push him onto greatness, the one…

"Naww, you look strong and adorable at the same time!"

…that didn't speak that sentence.

Oshawott looked around, confused by the sudden speech when his eyes met amber orbs of fire and warmth. There was another boy there, this one looked slightly out of place within the scene. Thinner eyes hinted at an eastern descendance, at the very least, midnight black hair roughly tamed by a cap, compared to the smooth and styled looks of both the professor and the new trainer. That didn't matter much though, however, as Oshawott just soaked up the praise whilst blushing.

He'd been called cute AND powerful!

"And finally, Trip, here's the grass type starter, Snivy!" Juniper announced, pulling the water type out of his glorious world of sunshine. Next to him, the cocky grass snake he had come to hate over the last week, formed with a smug grin and a flash of malice towards Oshawott. Of course, the foreign boy had something nice to say about Snivy, but it wasn't as thought-provoking as the one he had given to him, Oshawott. That gave the water type reason to puff his chest out slightly, much to Snivy's disgust and Tepig's sniggering behind its snout.

"Professor, I've already made up my mind," the boy, Trip was his name apparently, smirked; having just called the other boy a 'Boonie' whatever the heck that was. In Oshawott's view, the pouting and furrowed eyebrows told him that it wasn't a pleasant nickname of any kind. "I choose…"

Oshawott,

Oshawott.

Oshawott!

"… Snivy."

Wait, what?

Tepig groaned next to him, snorting angrily at the lack of being chosen, whilst Oshawott simply collapsed as all noises around him became distorted. The conversation between Trip and Professor Juniper continued, not that Oshawott even cared about what was being said anyway. He only started to react when he felt gentle hands pick him up and pull him into a hug.

"It's okay," the foreign boy was speaking again, much closer this time in a quiet whisper into his ears. "I know it won't be long until someone chooses you, why wouldn't they? Don't give up hope, everything will be Subarashī, it'll be great. Just you see." Oddly enough, Oshawott felt inclined to agree with him, spurred on by reassuring words that he had heard a thousand times before. There was something special to those words that couldn't be found in the ones the scientists gave him, a special something that rekindled his passion and dream for the future.

Maybe he'd just been looking in the wrong place.

Oshawott unfroze, looking up at the boy who was sending affection and kindness to him through the simple action of hugging. His eyes were closed, mouth set into a tooth showing grin that was anything but malice. It warmed Oshawott from the inside out, providing a nice sensation throughout every fibre of his being. It was then and there Oshawott decided to take matters into his own hands and choose his own trainer.

And he chose that boy.

He was so enveloped in his daydreaming that he hadn't noticed that the boy had put him down in an effort to chase after Trip. Oshawott stared at the closing automatic doors, realising this was his only chance to push his point across… only to be almost mauled down by another Pokémon. The two collided, with hissings and/or yelping of pain following soon after. Oshawott pushed himself up to give the other Pokémon a right royal telling off, stilling himself when he realised who he had bumped into.

A Pikachu.

Pikachu couldn't be found natively in Unova, it was impossible. Sure, some trainers had them but that was only because of breeding centres from around the world who would give eggs to people for starters, since not everyone was lucky enough to get one of the three regional starters. The Pikachu, male by the flat edge of his tail, gave him an apologetic bow of the head.

" _Sorry about that, really need to get going, have to find Ash, see ya!"_ With that, the yellow bundle of fur burst out through the doors and into the courtyard, all within a matter of seconds. The dots began joining up in Oshawott's mind. Foreign boy, plus foreign Pokémon equals someone who already was a trainer just visiting Unova. At least he had a name to go with the nice human.

Hoping that there could be a compromise, maybe Juniper would let him go with an already certified trainer, he followed the Pikachu outdoors, only to find to two on the battlefield, Pikachu VS Snivy. Oshawott couldn't help but cheer as a Quick Attack sent the grass type flying across the battlefield.

"Snivy, get up!" Trip commanded as Snivy struggled to even push up from his arms.

"Pikachu, Thunderbolt!" The boy, Ash, grinned to the electric type, who had the exact same expression on his face.

" _With pleasure! Eat volts, asshole!"_ Crackles of electrical energy rushed over the red electric sacks on Pikachu's cheeks as he started to fire up a deadly bolt… that never came. _"Urrr, Ash? What's going on?"_

"I dunno," Ash responded, shocking Oshawott down to his core. Did… did a human just understand a Pokémon?! What madness was this?! "Try a Volt Tackle, just the build-up though."

" _Roger…"_ Once again, Pikachu tried to channel his electrical energy, but to no avail other than a few sparkles of yellow from his cheeks. _"Okay, what the actual hell?! Why can't I use my moves?!"_

"Ha!" Trip's condescending tone smeared over everyone that could hear him. "What kind of Pokémon can't use their type attacks? You're weaker than I thought!"

"I guess we'll just have to improvise," Ash muttered loudly enough for Oshawott to hear him, but not his opponent. "Pikachu, Iron Tail on the ground!" Pikachu didn't reply this time but jumped into the air, his tail hardening and turning metallic in both colour and appearance. Using momentum, he twisted before he hit the ground, slamming his tail into it causing the ground to break apart.

Snivy was thrown up into the air like a Ragdoll, leaving himself open to be taken down by a simple Quick Attack, throw to the floor combo. Sulkily, Trip returned his Pokémon before storming off the grounds to wherever he was heading off to.

Peering out from his little hiding spot, Oshawott looked up at the winning duo, who were giving each other confused glances. If that was the two of them without half of their move set available, he couldn't help but beam at the thought of them in peak form.

~0~o~0~

The boy, Ash, had left the day after the battle. It didn't seem like a shock to his mother, or to the Kantonese regional professor the two were travelling with, but it did leave an opportunity for Oshawott. If he could follow the trainer and get his attention, maybe he could join in with a journey to the Unova League.

That was exactly what Oshawott had decided to do.

This was Oshawott's first time outside of the lab, and whilst nerve-wrecking, he knew the ultimate reward would be worth the journey to claim it. He hadn't warned anyone of what he was about to do, he just did it without a word. It wasn't like they expected him to tell them where he was at all times, right?

It wasn't until much later that he had caught up to the boy and his Pikachu, who were now joined by a girl and her Axew, plus a Pidove that the trainer had probably caught in advance. Ash was clutching at his arm, dark red liquid slowly running down from under his hand instantly gave a worrying message to Oshawott, who realised that one of the glass shards nearby him was splashed with a bit of blood. Loud curses of pure rage were coming from three figures standing in front of a downed blimp, dressed in mostly black with red R's printed across the top of their uniforms… for the humans at least, the Meowth with them was devoid of clothing, but spoke the language of the humans, surprising Oshawott to say the least.

"Listen here, twerpy!" Meowth grinned, twirling a whisker around one of his his sharpened claws. "We ain't gonna stop until we nab us that Pikachu, and yer hurt pretty badly, so give it over!"

"Firstly, Pikachu is a he, stop objectifying your own kind," Ash growled slightly as he spoke. "And secondly, you can kiss my black fabric covered ass!" Pikachu burst into fits of laughter whilst the trio of evil doers gasped in mortified shock.

"Since when did the twerp know bad words?!" The periwinkle haired man had paled slightly in complexion, which meant a lot since he was already a light shade of peach to begin with.

"Never mind that, just…" It was by then, Oshawott had decided he'd been watching on the side-lines for too long, and threw his scalchop at the remote in the Meowth's hand, which broke into pieces upon impact. The normal type yelped, clutching at his now injured hand as the blimp blew up behind them, bringing a black cloud of burning fabric to cloud their vision. The whirring of machinery caused those on the ground to look towards the sky, where the trio were hovering with their jetpacks. "This time was just a fluke! Soon Team Rocket will rule over Unova!"

"Yeah right, when Tepig's can fly!" The girl, with overly large eggplant coloured hair, scoffed back at them. The trio didn't answer back, instead choosing to fly off to wherever they were headed. Good riddance to them, Oshawott thought. With them out of the way, he could turn his attention to what was actually important, or for that thing to turn its attention on him.

"An Oshawott…?" Ash knelt down in front of him, staring at him for a brief span of time before it clicked. "Wait, are you the one from Professor Juniper's lab?"

" _That's right!"_ Oshawott grinned happily, nodding his head up and down like one of those bobble headed dolls. _"I came here to see you! I mean, I wanted to leave anyway and all but, I was wondering…"_ He was rudely interrupted by the girl, who had forcibly put herself between him and the trainer he wanted to work under.

"Look, you can thank, talk to or praise the Oshawott later," she huffed when her companion pouted at her. "They could have coated that glass with anything and that anything could now be in your bloodstream. Plus, you've lost a fair bit of blood! That wasn't a minor scrape! At the very least, let me treat it here so it can be properly looked at when we get to the nearest Pokémon Center!"

"Fine!" Seemingly, Ash visibly sulked as the other human pulled all the necessary equipment out of her backpack. "But seriously, Iris, it doesn't hurt…"

"Doesn't hurt my ass!" Iris snarkily replied back. "You were nearly crying when it happened! Just let me do this…" She dosed a piece of cotton wool with some kind of liquid from a bottle, and dabbed it against the wound, flinching at the screams of pain her companion was making. "It's for any signs of infection. Can't have you getting a fever or cold, it'll make things worse."

"You… could have… warned me." He groaned as she stopped dabbing with the wool and began to wrap fresh guaze and a bandage around the wound.

"Sure, and give you the chance to run away?" Iris rolled her eyes as she tied the ends of the bandage together. "There, all done. But we really need to get going to the Pokémon Center to get it properly seen too. I'm no Nurse Joy or anything…" For a moment, she stopped talking to take a deep breath as a smile etched its way onto her face. "But thank you for saving Axew. If I had been more careful, then you wouldn't have been hurt so, it's my fault in a way. I had no idea Pikachu's Volt Tackle was that strong!"

"You should have seen what it did to that Latios…" For some unknown reason, Iris didn't hear that, but Oshawott did. Latios, one of the Guardian legendries that occupied the Hoenn region? His Pikachu, a second stage evolution, took on a Latios and caused considerable damage?

Now that, was incredible.

"Anyway, we'd better get going," Iris helped Ash back up onto his feet, making sure the injured arm was kept away from any form of irritant. "Thanks for helping us Oshawott."

"Yeah, thanks a lot!" The boy added with another toothy grin.

" _We owe ya one!"_ Pikachu finished, rushing to return to his trainer's side, who was already being dragged away to the nearby log cabin-esque Pokémon Center. Watching them go, Oshawott realised that he had missed yet another chance to get himself aligned with the trainer he wished. Oh well, there was always tomorrow.

~0~o~0~

Oshawott was happy.

Why?

Well, he had just been relaxing in a hot springs bath and had been given permission from Professor Juniper that it was alright that he could travel with Ash. He was lounging happily on the bed in the room the two trainers were staying in for the night, curtesy of the owners of the springs for thanks in helping deal with the Sandile problem back when the springs were just sand baths.

Pikachu was rightly angry with him for a bit, especially when he knocked the electric type off of his perfect perching spot to prove a point, not that he needed too. Oshawott was sure Ash understood Pikachu perfectly, if not himself and Axew as well. That resulted in the poor trainer getting shocked accidently since his scalchop was a poor conductor and reflected the bolt of electricity in another direction.

Even after all that though, the trainer never once was angry at him. Ash listened calmly, assessed the situation and even agreed to have Oshawott join him on his journey understanding how important this was to the small water type. Oshawott had never had a trainer before, having a trainer was something he had dreamed of since the first choosing he had been involved with. Now, he didn't have to worry about that because he had chosen a trainer, and that trainer wanted him too.

Sitting upright, he noticed a gap in between Pikachu and Ash's chest as they slept, tuckered out after the long couple of days. Slowly and quietly, Oshawott squeezed himself into that gap, once again feeling warmth and love that he had only ever felt by being near this trainer in particular. He didn't know why and, quite frankly, he couldn't care less.

Oshawott was happy…

And that's all that mattered.


	2. Honō : Tepig

**Wow, I can't believe the support this has already! Thank you ever so much! Anyway, nothing I have to say now can't be answered with the reviews so, here we go.**

 **Changeling10: I agree, Ash still had Iron Tail and Quick attack he could use, it wasn't like Pikachu had lost all moves. Oshawott just needs some love, bro. X3. Thank you and I'm glad you liked it.**

 **Guest: Yep! This is, near enough, entirely in Tepig's point of view. You'll see what I mean.**

 **Mateusz: Thank you, but don't worry, I'm diverging from canon from this chapter. As for the starters, Snivy's episode is next (Not what the anime gave her) and after that... plot. Iris is more like her Game counterpart whilst Cilan... well, you'll see. Being able to change a horrible source material into something people can enjoy is my goal here. I don't mind using BW because of it, because there will be next to nothing of the original anime left by around... Castelia, maybe Nimbasa at a push. Apart from one other canon capture, Ash will be catching new nons, and that canon capture relates to another character's Pokemon. Thank you for reviewing!**

 **That's all I have to say, thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

 **Honō ~ Tepig**

Tepig was weak, he felt weak, stumbling around as his stomach grumbled and groaned with the lack of food.

Food.

He needed food!

Thinking about it just made his stomach scream at him for energy, for nutrients, but he couldn't. Not with this rope entangled around his snout he couldn't open it wide enough to do anything but breathe. At times, he could slurp up tiny amounts of water, but that wasn't enough to keep him sustained. Tepig knew he was slowly being starved to death, he had to get the rope off as soon as possible. The only problem was he didn't know how. He had brushed his snout against anything he could think of that could snag and tear away the problem that was killing him.

Only, it tore away his skin instead.

The ropes sometimes rubbed against the sensitive sore flesh, and all Tepig could do was whine and sob in pain. He had started to raid the nearby Pokémon Battle Club's food supply to see if there was anything in there that he could manage to gain nutrition from. Surely enough, if he left the pellets of general Pokémon food in a small bowl of water for a while, they would be mushy enough for him to get down his tightly enclosed snout. He didn't care that the food has a horrible texture when wet.

It was food and it was keeping him alive. Plus, he always made sure to drink the water just in case any vitamins seeped out into the liquid. Tepig quickly learnt how to use the indoor tap with just his front legs, how to make a hole in a bag for the food, how to collect a clean bowl for each meal and, most importantly, how to get in and out of the storage container that held the supply.

For weeks, he continuously used this cycle, the constant need for survival cast all thoughts of his previous trainer out of his mind, and any thoughts that did pop up were ones of malice. It was because of his blindness that he didn't realise what could result in chasing after someone who didn't want him. However, as all abandoned Pokémon do, he had just a glimpse of hope deep down inside that told him his trainer would come back, that he would be welcomed with a loving embrace.

Ha.

Love was just not Seamus' style.

Tepig was digging into another meal when he heard the container's door slid open with a loud clang. He froze, terrified to think that he could be caught by Don George, the head of the Battle Club. Seconds passed, feeling like hours to the fire type as he awaited the typical clod of slipper shoes that he had already come to expect from the Don. His muscles relaxed as, instead, the clack of high heels and boots echoed around the metal walls. Peering out, Tepig glanced upon three figures dressed in black uniforms entered, searching around for something. They were pre-occupied with the boxes of Pokémon food, now was his only chance to escape.

Using as much strength as he could muster on his barely digested food, Tepig sprang at the trio, bouncing on the ground before leaping off down the backroads as the alarm behind him began shrilly calling out to those nearby of thieves and intruders. It was then he realised that he'd revealed himself, in front of the camera, on tape.

Oh crap.

~0~o~0~

Tepig didn't like being cornered. He didn't like being restrained or tied back. He didn't like being trapped. Approaching figures, human specifically, when he felt like a caged rabid monster were not things he wanted to encounter. He would fight tooth and nail to escape, bite and burn anything that stood in his path but yet now…

He was letting a young trainer pick him up.

Sure, he had snorted smoke into the boy's face, but that was just a defensive measure. Once the smoke had cleared, Tepig realised the boy wasn't angry but instead was worried, frowning as his amber eyes glossed quickly over the fire type's appearance. The boy said nothing, coughing due to the dirty air that was trapped in his lungs, before sitting cross legged on the floor whilst gently placing Tepig down on his lap.

Normally, Tepig knew he would have run, but a warm, loving feeling rolled over his body in waves as fingers gently scratched the top of his head.

"Daijoubu!" The trainer was smiling, closed eyes and mouth to hide any potential signs of aggression. The hand left his head, leading Tepig to groan for it to return, that was until he realised what was happening. Fingers delicately worked at the rope around his snout, avoiding the areas where the skin was chaffed and ripped off.

"Be careful," The girl with him, a person who Tepig had only just noticed at that moment, was glancing at them from a far enough distance. "The poor thing has already been hurt by the rope, we don't want to cause it any extra damage!"

"Right," The boy nodded, making sure that he was careful to not cause any more harm to the poor fire type. "Who could have done such a terrible thing?"

Tepig froze for a moment and looked up at the human who had almost freed him from the dreaded curl of fibres. The feeling of warmth returned as the tips of the boy's fingers brushed against his cheeks. It was a warmth far stronger than the fire that blazed inside of his body, of which was slowly burning out due to his lack of food and strength. The warmth faded as the rope was gently unravelled from his snout, allowing the fire type to take huge gasps of fresh air, freeing up his windpipes from the tiny snorts he had managed to achieve before.

Seconds after Tepig had returned to a regular breathing pattern, a cloth lightly rubbed into his mucky fir, slightly damp to draw the mud and dirt away. As the boy was doing this, the girl, whose name was mentioned to be Iris, drew up a large bowl of dry Pokémon food for him. He didn't even know he was drooling until the cloth wiped the side of his mouth as the human boy chuckled kindly.

"Pretty hungry, huh?" The trainer finished off his job, stuffing the cloth back into his bag along with a partially empty water bottle. "Thanks Iris." He took the bowl off of her hands, placing it down in front of Tepig, who eyed it greedily. Within seconds, Tepig was head first into his first dry meal in a while, wolfing down every pellet he could find. The warmth returned with a content sigh, as the boy began to pat his back.

"I bet it's really good and all, but I'd slow down a little," he, the boy, advised. "We still have plenty for you to eat your fill."

"I'm sure Don George won't mind if you ask him, Ash," Iris crouched down beside them, beaming at the adorable sight in front of her. "Tepig probably has enough there to put him to sleep afterwards."

"Yeah, I guess so." Tepig continued to munch as the trainer, Ash, continued to stroke his back reassuringly. It wasn't long later that the fire type realised that girl had been right, and he was getting increasingly sleepy and he slowly drifted off into the land of dreams held by a pair of stable, comforting arms.

~0~o~0~

"That's horrible!" Tepig blinked his eyes open to Iris' horrified shout. Looking around, he could make out the imposing figure of Don George in front of the two trainers, with Ash still carrying him in a tight but caring hold. "What kind of madman would just tie up their Pokémon and leave it to die?!"

"Please miss, calm down…!" Don George said in a hushed voice.

"CALM DOWN?! A POKÉMON ALMOST DIED!"

"Sorry about that Tepig," The fighting match ended almost immediately as Ash realised he was awake and had started stroking the fire type between his ears. "We didn't mean to wake you up."

" _No problem…"_ Tepig yawned and stretched, only to relax into the arm hold he was held in, the stroking fingers moved with his stretching ending up in the wrong place. _"Left a bit…"_ To Tepig's surprise, the action moved to his perfect spot, following his instructions clearly. If he wasn't enjoying the nice head rub, he would be questioning what had just happened.

"It seems Tepig really likes you, young man." Don George laughed heartily, causing Tepig to jerk upwards, completely alert. "Normally, in cases like these, the Abandoned Pokémon Institute or A.P.I would come and take the Pokémon to be cared for and rehomed, but I think it would be the best for Tepig if it…"

"He," all eyes swivelled in shock at Ash's icy cold tone. "Tepig is a he, not an it. He's a living being, not an object, treat him as such…"

"Right… he…" The man coughed nervously and continued from where he left off, "It would be best for Tepig if he went out there with you. I hardly think the A.P.I could remove him from your arms right now."

Thinking about it, Tepig realised the old man was right, he didn't want to go. He didn't want to leave Ash. Whilst the boy had saved him from death, Tepig realised his hate to leave didn't stem from a debt of having his life be saved. The natural warmth and love the human projected just felt like a mother would to her son. Thanks to a lack of love with Seamus, the idea of having a human trainer who loved him just sounded so appealing. He had almost died, but now, he had a better future because of one act from a crueller being. Confirming the man's suspicions, Tepig clutched at the jacket fabric beneath him with an adamant glare, no one would separate him from his new trainer.

"It looks like Tepig's made his choice," Iris smiled, leaning in with a sparkle in her eyes. "So, gonna catch him now?" Ash stared at her for a moment before shaking his head, shocking everyone around him.

"I'm not gonna catch him…" Tepig's heart broke. He couldn't believe it, there was no way that… "Not until I've sorted these injuries out." Oh, well, that was still good news, right?

"Oh Ash," Iris took a deep sigh of relief. "You really had me worried there for a minute."

"Heh heh, gomen," Ash seemingly sent another wave of warmth through Tepig's body, just by readjusting the hold he had on the fire type. "Is there a Pokémon Center around here?"

"Yes, pretty close by," Don George nodded, before giving some instructions, plus a note to the boy. "This should exempt you from a telling of or revoking of your trainer's licence for Tepig's condition. Thanks to your Pokémon, we were able to secure the grounds pretty quickly, I believe you will be wanting them back now?"

"Yes please!"

~0~o~0~

" _Wait, he can what?!"_ Tepig's jaw dropped as the group of five, four Pokémon and one human, wandered the streets of Accumula Town in search for the center Don George had told them about. Unluckily for the group, their trainer didn't have a keen sense of direction. A Pikachu and a Oshawott took up the shoulder spaces, whilst a Pidove flew alongside them. She cackled at his response to their big reveal as Pikachu tried his best to explain.

" _It's kinda out of there, I know but… It really takes a demonstration to show it…"_ He began making gestures to his trainer, pointing at Pidove, who gave them a smug grin back. _"Okay, just watch."_

"Pidove, just say any word you can think of."

" _Biscuits."_ She replied instantaneously.

"Seriously?" Ash raised an eyebrow at her, close to rolling his eyes at the flying type. "You've only just eaten, how can you now be hungry?"

" _I just like biscuits,"_ Pidove replied honestly with a shrug of her wings mid-flight. _"Plus, you did say any word."_

"But biscuits suggest you want food and I don't have biscuits on me right now!" Their trainer argued back, not noticing the wide eyes of the Tepig in his arms.

" _I too am a little peckish."_ Oshawott announced, smiling at the rest of the group. _"Maybe biscuits would be filling enough…"_

"Guys, we don't have biscuits…" Ash looked down at Tepig only now realising the fire type had been listening to everything. "Umm… surprise?"

" _But how?!"_

" _No clue whatsoever,"_ Pidove butted in before any of the others could get a word in edgeways. _"But he's our Ash and I don't care if half of his hair falls off or he breaks his leg or something because he's still our trainer and nothing's gonna change that."_

" _I'm not going anywhere!"_ Oshawott proudly tapped his scalchop with a wide grin. _"I'm not losing my first and only trainer for nothing!"_

" _Ash and I have been everywhere together,"_ Pikachu nuzzled his cheek against his trainer's, earning a joyful giggle from his actions. _"And I would never leave him for anything. I just love my adorable doofus way too much."_

Ash was about to object to being called a doofus when a voice caused all of them to stop in their tracks.

"Your Pokémon, just now they were saying…" They turned around to find a man behind them, a white and black cap covered his eyes whilst his green hair flowed down into a long ponytail. A white shirt was worn over a black one, leading into beige trousers and green shoes. The man oozed with an electrifying air of mystery about him, cold and untamed.

"Huh?" Thoroughly confused as to who this man was, Ash remained quiet, hoping he hadn't just head their conversation.

"Strange, I could have sworn I heard friends conversing with a human," The man lowered his head to the ground with a smile. "And here we have four friends, free from their Poké Balls to thrive and prosper…"

" _What the hell is this nutter on about?"_ Pidove questioned, perching atop of her trainer's head. _"Poké Balls are actually very comfy, they even allow for rest between fights."_

" _Oh, so mine is the only cramped one!"_ Pikachu huffed and crossed his arms, thinking back to the man who caught him. _"Stupid old coot!"_ Trying to drone out the argument, Ash decided to ask the man a question.

"Umm, pardon my rudeness but, who are you?"

"My name is N," was his swift reply. "I'm just a traveller, searching to make the world perfect for my friends, something I haven't been able to do yet. And you are…?"

"Oh, well," Ash pointed to each of his Pokémon in turn. "This is Pikachu, Oshawott, Pidove and Tepig, and I'm Ash. Nice to meetcha!" He held out his hand for a shake, pleasantly surprised when N took it.

"Placing your Pokémon above you in an introduction," a soft smile graced N's more whimsical features. "I respect people like that."

"Well they are my family…" Ash's Pokémon clung to him tightly with that remark, easily showing their agreement to it. "Hey N, do you know where the Pokémon Center is? Tepig hurt himself after being abandoned and I really want to find the center to make him feel better soon!"

"Abandoned…" N zoned out, staring across the town as if he was judging them for letting such an act happen. "How horrible. The Pokémon Center is just ahead, I hope Tepig recovers."

"Thanks! And thanks for the instructions!" Ash turned to leave, waving as he ran with Pidove flying after him. "Sayonara N, thanks for everything!"

N watched him leave, still smiling as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a photograph. In the middle of the photo was a storm cloud, Zekrom only barely visible inside of it and below…? A black-haired boy and his Pikachu, wearing the exact same clothing as the one he had just met.

"The Hero of Ideals, huh?" He put the photo back into his pocket and grinned. "Well then, I must prove myself to Reshiram, so I can help all my friends!


	3. Kusa : Snivy

**Sorry this has taken a year to update, but recently I've not been as motivated to write for Pokemon and focused more on my My Hero Academia fanfics on AO3. However, I wanted to get back into the fandom and what better way than writing Chapter 3 of Saving Grace?**

 **This chapter begins the true drift away from BW anime canon, and the first look at Team Plasma. One thing I need to mention is that Team Plasma is a mix of Anime and Game Team Plasma, in that some members have the Neo Plasma mentality (Follow Ghetsis and do whatever to carry out their schemes including hurting Pokemon) and others have the Original Plasma Mentality (They actually believe that Pokemon should be liberated for their own good and that N's beliefs are correct.) This will affect Team Plasma in the long run, but for now, I'm only mentioning it because I feel like it's necessary.**

 **Anyway, that being said, thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

Snivy had never thought about getting a second trainer.

After her first trainer had caused her so much grief that she took it upon herself to abandon them, the thought of finding someone else had never crossed her mind. It hadn't been long since her self-made release that she had become entirely independent of the need for a trainer. Despite that, Snivy had decided to hand around Striaton City, in case she needed to put her Attract to good use to get some food that she wanted from unsuspecting city dwellers. She had made a home for herself within the Dreamyard, and apart from the odd visit to the city, she was fine where she was.

It was on one of these trips that she actually began to think about it.

As she crossed the city from the rooftops, clearing all need for interaction since she had just stolen some muffins from a stupid trainer, her line of sight was drawn down to the street below. What caught her eyes wasn't the two trainers – at least she assumed they were due to the fact they were heading in the direction of the gym – but two of the Pokémon running with the male trainer. Was that… Tepig and Oshawott? Snivy briefly remembered the time the three of them were together, raised within the confines of Professor Juniper's lab. She knew it was them, from the way they acted around the humans and other Pokémon they were with. Last she knew, Tepig left with some weird looking trainer who she didn't trust whatsoever and Oshawott was still stuck in the lab having not been chosen. So why where they here, happily yapping away with a foreigner?

To say she was intrigued was an understatement, but she didn't have time to follow up on it now. With armful of bounty, she rushed back towards the Dreamyard. Maybe, she could share some of her hall with Munna, if Musharna let her.

Everything was good, she no longer had a snub-nosed brat yelling at her for being not pretty enough, or for not evolving on command – someone needed to teach the kid that evolution didn't work that way – but lived with fellow Pokémon in a deserted laboratory where humans never dared to go due to the rumours surrounding the area. Snivy was fine, she was happy, and more importantly, didn't need anyone to help her and that's how it would stay.

O~0~O

Okay, she actually did need help, and quickly.

This was bad, this was really bad.

There were humans, humans in uniform at the Dreamyard. And they were…

…And Musharna…

…And Munna…

She blinked away tears welling up in her eyes, running as fast as her stubby legs could carry her. If she didn't get help soon, then, well she didn't want to think about what would happen to the mother and daughter who had helped her and given her a start to her life of freedom. She had to get them help, it was the least she could do as thanks for all they've done for her.

As she entered the city, all she cared about was finding someone or something powerful enough to push those humans away. Snivy knew she'd been falling behind on her training, and was relatively out of shape in battling terms. Her Attract and Vine Whip were usually good enough to solve any issue, but if a Pokémon could easily overpower Musharna, then she wouldn't be able to make a dent on their health. It wasn't like her trainer even properly trained her in the first place. In her worry, Snivy's attention was completely diverted from where she was going so she managed to bump into something that was soft but solid. Looking up after rubbing her head a few times, she realised she was looking up at the same foreign trainer as before.

The same trainer, with both Tepig and Oshawott by his side.

Tepig, by the looks of it, realised who she was immediately just by her scent, whilst Oshawott was staring blankly at her, just like normal.

" _Snivy!"_ Tepig bounded over to her, looking happier than he ever had during their time in the lab. _"It's been ages! I didn't know you and your trainer were around here!"_

" _Hold the phone,"_ Despite being a bit slow on the uptake, Oshawott realised what was going on. _"You mean that Snivy, the same one who…"_

" _Yes, yes, it's me,"_ she hurried him along, she didn't have the time to catch up. _"I'm in a hurry, and I need help."_

" _Help?"_ A yellow Pokémon had joined in the conversation, jumping down from the trainer's shoulder. _"What's the matter? Is your trainer hurt or something?"_

" _No, I abandoned them,"_ Snivy ignored the yellow one's pitying face, not knowing whether it was for her or for the trainer. _"It's Musharna and Munna, they're being attacked! I couldn't face their attackers alone so I came to get help as quickly as I could!"_

"Wait, who are attacking them?"

" _Humans! Humans with weird, cosplayer like uniforms, and…"_ Snivy froze. She could have sworn that the last voice didn't belong to any of the Pokémon that were around her. It didn't sound like any of the three, so… no, it couldn't have been. Focusing her attention on the trainer, she realised he was leaning in to listen, his face formed into a worried expression. It was like he had heard everything she had said and was fretting over the two back in the Dreamyard.

It couldn't be, right?

"And?" The human was getting a bit impatient, not that she would blame him as lives were on the line "You were saying?"

Well apparently, it was right and the human was understanding her to a T. Fighting down her own shocked look, Snivy continued. _"… And I think… I think Musharna might be…"_ the word dead hung in the air as her voice trailed off. The weird uniformed people were beating the two, trying to drag their Dream Mist out of them, and Musharna was getting the brunt of the force. There was so long she could last, and Snivy was fearful for how long that could be.

" _Ash…"_ The yellow Pokémon muttered to his trainer, who nodded in understanding.

"Lead the way Snivy," The trainer said to her. "Pikachu, Tepig, Oshawott, you guys ready for a fight?"

" _Of course!"_ Tepig snorted embers out of his nostrils whilst Oshawott tapped his favourite scalchop proudly.

" _Come on! Hurry!"_ Snivy shot a vine out of her shoulders and wrapped it around the trainer's wrist as she ran, causing him to stumble before running along behind her with his team at the heels.

Iris turned around, having heard a commotion, only to see the only Unovan Starter Ash had yet to capture dragging him away in the different direction to which they were headed. To her, this was starting to become normal with Ash despite only knowing him for a week. With the Gym Leader who came to "interview" him, Cilan, this was a new and confusing situation to be forced into.

"Is it me… or is that Snivy kidnapping Ash?" Iris snorted, shaking her head. She patted the grass type specialist on the shoulder with a smile that showed a slight hint of smugness within it.

"If you're going to travel with us, get used to stuff like this," she told him, whilst trying to hold a laugh in. "That boy is a huge trouble magnet. By the way, where are they headed?"

"The Dreamyard is in that direction, but it hasn't been operational in years and rumours say that ghosts haunt the remains of the laboratory there." Cilan frowned deep in thought. "Why would Snivy be heading there?"

"Less thought, more running!" Iris answered him, rushing off after her friend whilst ignoring the shout from the Gym Leader behind her.

O~0~O

The group of three arrived at the Dreamyard as quickly as they could, quickening their pace when pained Pokémon cries entered their range of hearing. Two figures wearing knight-like uniforms appeared within the ruins of the laboratory, surrounding a small pink Pokémon with floral patterning who was crying loudly.

"Urghhh, why isn't it producing Dream Mist?!" The male figure growled, causing the Pokémon to cry louder in fear. "Come on, just give us the Dream Mist!"

"Be careful with this one," The female said with crossed arms. "Whilst the other one's… unfortunate ending was an accident, at least they were liberated from the more horrible world of being owned by a trainer."

Snivy stopped dead in her tracks. She knew what those words meant. Musharna was dead, killed by the people ahead for not giving them what they required. The humans on her side also heard the same things and realised what it meant too, their expressions said it all.

" _I was… too late…"_ Snivy began to pound her fists at the ground, failing miserably to stop herself from crying. _"Musharna… I'm so sorry!"_ Tepig and Oshawott tried to consolidate her, but were failing miserably. Even the trainers didn't know what to do, that was until a thump sound could be heard, followed by Munna's cry.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing?!" Ash yelled angrily at the duo, who only just realised that they were there.

"We, Team Plasma, are collecting Dream Mist to help with our goals of Pokémon liberation," The male Plasma grunt replied, shocked that someone else was there. "Run along, little boy, we don't have time to play games."

"But you were hurting Munna!" Iris shouted at them, with Axew agreeing with her and voicing his own complaints from her hair. "That's not liberation, that's just abuse!"

"To get to the goal of liberation, some small sacrifices must be made for the greater good. You should liberate your Pokémon to prove how much you love them. If you love something dearly, it's best to let it go."

"This has nothing to do with us letting our partners go," Cilan joined the argument. "It's to do with your actions and the harm you have caused that poor Munna! It's hypocritical to think harming a Pokémon can cause any sort of liberation!"

"And does Munna even want your form of liberation?! Leave her alone!" Ash added, his fists clenched in anger at the gall of these grunts.

"Hmm, I guess if our words won't make you liberate your Pokémon, then us beating you will!" The female grunt shouted, releasing her Pokémon, which the Pokédex mentioned was called Purrloin. Cilan froze up for a moment, but was soon realising his Pansage to fight.

"Alright, huh?" Ash looked down at Snivy, who was tugging his arm with one of her vines. "What's the matter?"

" _I want to fight them, to avenge Musharna,"_ she replied, glaring at the two grunts, one of whom had just released a Patrat to join his teammate's Purrloin. _"I know I'm not your Pokémon, but I'll follow your commands. Please just let me fight. I know Attract, Vine Whip, Leaf Storm and Scratch."_ Ash's only response was a nod and she jumped in front of him.

"I didn't know Snivy was your Pokémon, Ash." Cilan said to his partner in the tag battle.

"She's not, I'm just helping her with her goal." The younger trainer answered before immediately calling out a move to catch the Plasma Grunts off guard. "Snivy, Attract!" With a wink, sparkling heart outlines flew across to the foe's side, surrounding the two Pokémon in a ring. After the ring had been absorbed, Patrat began goofing off, acting aloof and drunkenly. Purrloin, on the other hand, didn't seem to be affected at all by the Attract, and was instead glaring at her partner in the battle. Obviously Patrat was a male, since only he had been affected.

"So, does that mean we focus on Purrloin for now?" Cilan asked, having already worked out Ash's strategy.

"Yeah, it'll be easier to team up against one of them together than having to focus on both at the same time. Okay, Snivy use Leaf Storm!" A swirling gust of leaves formed around her before she pushed them towards the Purrloin with all her might, which the dark type tried to dodge but failed, crying out from the hit.

"Pansage use Dig!" Cilan instructed his partner, who disappeared under the ground, and within seconds sprung up whilst delivering an uppercut that ultimately knocked Purrloin out cold. Now all attention turned to the still Attract induced mess that was Patrat.

"Pansage, Solar Beam!"

"Snivy, Vine Whip!"

With two attacks, Patrat too was down. Snivy was quite surprised it didn't take longer than that to defeat them. Either the grunts hadn't trained their Pokémon properly, or she was stronger than she thought she was. That or it was because her partner in the tag battle was a Gym Leader's Pokémon. Obviously, the losers weren't taking their defeat nicely at all, in fact they were the definition of sore losers.

"What?! How… How dare you defeat us?!" The female grunt scowled

"It doesn't matter, we still have Munna and…" Turning around showed that Munna had vanished from beside the grunts and instead…

… was floating beside Iris, who was grinning like the Meowth who had got the cream.

"Thanks for the distraction, guys!" She smiled whilst making a victory sign with her left hand. "Without it, I wouldn't have got Munna to safety."

"Thanks, Iris! You're amazing!" Ash grinned, now all they had to deal with was the grunts.

"Urghh, I guess we have no choice but to retreat…"

"We will remember this! And next time, Team Plasma won't be so forgiving!" The grunts rushed past the group, rushing deeper into the surrounding forest. Going after them would just cause the inevitable problem of getting lost, and what they had come to do was completed. Munna was safe and Snivy had claimed her vengeance. So instead of blindly rushing after the Team Plasma members, they turned back to Striaton and headed for the Pokémon Center in silence.

O~0~O

It didn't take too long to reach the Center, but the sun was setting by the time they had so everyone decided that going to stay the night was the best idea. All Pokémon involved in the fighting were looked over, with Munna being healed relatively easy by the Audino who worked there, and given the clean bill of health. Munna was going to stay in overnight, so that meant Snivy decided to stay too, using the sofas in the waiting area to sleep on. However, relatively soon after she had fallen asleep, the sound of the Center doors opening and closing caused her to stir. Snivy stretched, yawned and then went to see what the commotion was, only to find Munna floating beside Tepig and Oshawott's trainer as they stared at the sky.

" _So Meema's up there?"_ Munna asked shakily, her voice betraying the fact she had been crying only recently. Snivy watched as the boy, Ash she believed his name was, nodded.

"Well, yeah, but she's also here," he lightly tapped against where Munna's heart was, giving her a grin that told her everything would be alright, even if it wasn't now. "She's always gonna be in your heart. And I'm sure, whether she is, she's looking down on you right now really proud of you. No matter where you are, or what your doing, she'll be with you, watching you grow big and strong." He chuckled nervously, as if he was hoping that he didn't make it hard for her to understand. "I mean, that's what I believe."

" _Meema's watching…"_ Munna turned back up to the stars, her eyes focused on the brightest one. _"Then I'll have to be strong, for Meema!"_

"You don't have to be," Snivy watched as he waved his hands around to tell her that she wasn't going down the right path of thought. "You just have to be you. If you want to be strong, then that's great, but do it for yourself. She would be proud of you regardless." The two stood in silence for a moment before Munna spoke up again.

" _Thank you, for comforting me,"_ Snivy's eyes widened slightly, but she said nothing letting them continue. _"I don't think I could have slept alone. I'm used to Meema cuddling me at night to keep me warm. You feel warm, so it helped."_

"I'm glad I could do something to help you. I just wish I could have done something to help Musharna," Ash sighed deeply. "It's not the first time I've let something like this happen…" He stopped talking, but the implications were there. Snivy realised this wasn't the first time the trainer had been faced with the death of a Pokémon, however he blamed himself for them all including Musharna's. She decided that now, it was time for her to engage in this conversation.

" _You did all that you could, I should have been faster."_ The boy jumped, whilst Munna smiled and bobbed in place.

" _Snivy!"_ The grass snake Pokémon smiled, glad that Munna was still happy to see her despite everything.

" _I mean it too,"_ she weaselled her way between the boy and Munna, in a positional standpoint. _"If I hadn't found you, then we would have lost Munna too. You had nothing to do with the situation, so the fact you even helped without hesitation was nice."_ Without the adrenaline running through her veins to get help, Snivy noticed that he did indeed have a warm aura about him, fiery but at the same time safe and welcoming. It told her everything she needed to know about him, and she was happy that Tepig and Oshawott had the honour of being trained under such a compassionate being.

"Why wouldn't I?"

" _Hmmm?"_

"Why wouldn't I help you without hesitating?" Ash asked, confused as to why she had brought up the point in the first place. "Tepig and Oshawott seemed to know you, and you obviously didn't like being around humans but still came to us to save Munna. I trust my friends with my life, so if they believe you, I believe you, ya know."

" _You really are something special…"_ Snivy shook her head with a small smile. _"Most trainers would have tried to catch more, or, you know, not understand a word I'm saying?"_

"Oh… right…" He rubbed the back of his head, chuckling to himself. "I've always been able to do that… just not as well as I have in Unova. I dunno why, but I'm grateful for it. Because without it, I wouldn't have been able to help you as quickly as I could have. And who knows what would have happened by then."

" _Well, at least you're empathetic, more than my trainer was."_ Despite whispering that last part, both of the others heard her and gave her a look begging for more information. _"Alright then, the trainer who chose me out of the three of us, yes including your Tepig and Oshawott, was very narrow minded. I was never praised when I did something right, if I messed up, I was yelled at. They wanted me to evolve as soon as possible because I wasn't 'cute' in this stage. By the time we got to Striaton, I'd had enough. So, whilst my trainer was sleeping, I released myself from their control and I ran away. There, that's my story."_

"Snivy…" she was shocked when she felt the trainer's arms wrap around her and pull her into a hug. Munna was right, he felt warm but as if she had been wrapped in a soft blanket next to a cosy fire. All of her resentment melted away and she felt at peace. It was as if, by letting her story out, it let out all of her negative emotions. "I'm so sorry to hear that happened to you. You deserve better than that." He sounded so honest and truthful, it was as if there wasn't a single bad bone in this boy's body.

" _I'm free now, so at least there's that…"_ As the hug ended, she felt the warmth leave her and the guilt of Musharna came flooding back, along with the fury against those who killed her. She suppressed it, for now, wanting to remain strong for Munna. _"Thanks, for talking to me."_

"No problem, I couldn't sleep anyways," Ash turned his attention back to the sky as he asked the question that was at the forefront of his mind. "So, what are you two gonna do now?"

" _As in, where will we go and stuff?"_ When Snivy received a nod, she continued speaking. _"Well, I was going to stay with Munna. Look after her and all. If that's alright with you…"_ She was interrupted by Munna, who had been floating closer towards the trainer.

" _I wanna go with you!"_ Both Snivy and Ash stared at Munna, whose face was scrunched up with determination.

" _Whhhhaaaaaa?!"_

" _I wanna be strong! Like Meema was! And when you were fighting the bad guys who hurt Meema, you were really strong!"_ Munna had already decided, it seemed. _"I don't wanna go back to the Dreamyard, but I know I won't get stronger just going place to place. I wanna be your Pokémon so I can be strong, like Meema! Please, please, please, please, please will you be my trainer?"_

"Munna, I want you to think long and hard about this," Instead of immediately excepting her, to Snivy's surprise, Ash stopped her and tried to make sure she was making the right choice. "I want you to be absolutely certain you want this. I dunno what the journey will hold, and we may get into danger a lot. I don't want you to get hurt…"

" _I'm certain! I wanna go with you!"_ Munna interjected, giving Ash the best Eevee eyes she could. Whilst the poor trainer was trying to wrap his head around it, Snivy couldn't help but laugh.

"What's so funny?" There was no malice or anger behind the question, Snivy noted as she stopped laughing but began smirking instead.

" _Nothing at all,"_ she looked up at the trainer and crossed her arms. _"In that case, I guess I'm coming along too."_

" _Really?!"_ Munna cheered, bouncing around in the air with confirmation from Snivy. _"Yay! Snivy's coming too!"_

"Snivy, are you sure?"

" _Of course, I promised I'd go wherever Munna went. And also, you seem like a good trainer, if Oshawott and Tepig chose you. You'll have to prove yourself to me though."_

"I will, Snivy," Ash stated, promising her what she wanted to hear. "I'll prove that I'm worthy to be your trainer, I promise you that."

She smiled, because deep down she knew, he already had.

Of course, both of Ash's companions were shocked to find out that overnight he'd caught both Munna and Snivy. Iris took it in her stride and congratulated Ash on his two new team members whilst Cilan realised what he was getting himself involved with. None the less, he tried to embrace it whilst also pursuing the questions he had tried to ask following his Gym Battle with Ash, however he still ended up not getting the answers he wished.

Leaving Striaton brought a sense of a fresh start for Snivy. No more stealing to feed herself, she had all the food she could need. No more nights spent cold in her 'home', she could snuggle into her teammates or her trainer for warmth. Finally, she had found someone who loved her for who she was, who didn't want her to change anything about herself. Sure, the original reason for joining Ash was to keep an eye on Munna, but multiple other reasons had added on to that one and solidified for her why this was the right choice.

Snivy had never thought about getting a second trainer, but she was glad she had one now.


End file.
